As Spiritual Protector of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, H.B. Patriarch Gregorios III was invited to Bratislava, Slovakia (27-30 May 2011.)
On 27 May he was welcomed by the Mayor of Bratislava, Dr. Milan Ftáčnik. He then gave a talk: the Greek Catholic Church and Peace. The future is meeting, trusting and building bridges in a divided world.
At 5: 30p.m. the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Peter Rusnák of the Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bratislava, with a Vigil for postulants to the Order of St. Lazarus. His Beatitude presided from the throne.
On 28 May, at 5p.m. the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Martin by His Beatitude, together with Bishop Peter Rusnák, Bishop Milan Chautur of Košice and some twenty priests, during which the Ceremonial Investiture of the Order took place for Knights and Dames of the recently inaugurated Grand Bailiwick of Slovakia headed by Chev. Ing. Zdenek Tomčík, the Grand Priory of Hungary, the Grand Priory of Germany, and the Grand Bailiwick of the Czech Republic.
This was followed by a Gala Dinner in the Carlton Hotel.
On Sunday, 29 May, His Beatitude baptized the child Stella Török, daughter of the Chancellor for the Slovak Jurisdiction, Chev. Norbert Török.At 10: 30 a.m., His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, with its Bishop Peter Rusnák concelebrating.
On 30 May, His Beatitude left Slovakia for Lebanon.
V.C.